Machines Like Us. Do They?

The days of the pandemic, when technology is playing an even bigger role in people’s lives and many are singing its praises, is a good time to turn to science fiction. To imagine what AI can do to our lives and our work. More importantly, to our relationships with each other. These days, I read… Continue reading Machines Like Us. Do They?

Owl Wisdom Podcast: The Post-Trump Global Economy

The recently concluded US elections have huge implications for the rest of the world. Not just because America is still the world's largest economy, but because it wields its economic and military power on the international stage, like no other country does. In that respect, it has enjoyed huge influence. In the past four years,… Continue reading Owl Wisdom Podcast: The Post-Trump Global Economy

The Great Media Hijack

Over a month ago, we received two copies of the Times of India at our flat in Goa. Naturally we thought the vendor had mistakenly dropped off two copies of the same newspaper. To my amusement and horror – of which I couldn’t tell which was greater – I discovered that they were different editions… Continue reading The Great Media Hijack

The Road Ahead for Tata Motors

The past two years have been anything but benign for the Indian automobile industry. As I had written in a blog post more than a year ago, many factors are to blame for the state of the business. However, I don’t think any automobile company in India has suffered as much as Tata Motors has.… Continue reading The Road Ahead for Tata Motors

Of Open Cities in the Time of Lockdowns

Deserted city streets. Empty or shuttered shops and restaurants. Air travel pretty much grounded. And a raging pandemic in our midst. Seems to be a strange time to be reading a book that is about just the opposite. About a life we once knew, which makes the act of reading it now, a study in… Continue reading Of Open Cities in the Time of Lockdowns

The Problem with Pre-Covid Levels: Owl Wisdom Podcast

Hello friends. This edition of The Owl Wisdom Podcast is prompted by the constant refrain that we all hear about returning to pre-Covid levels. Whether it is our day-to-day lives or the wider economy, the comparison is always with life before Covid. Here - as in a previous edition titled The Big Reset - I… Continue reading The Problem with Pre-Covid Levels: Owl Wisdom Podcast

Of Wildflowers and Their Ways

The best news from Goa, India, this year is that we’ve had a good and plentiful monsoon. As I have always said, it is the best time ever to be in Goa. The skies are laden with dark and heavy clouds, and if you’re a sky-gazer like me, you’ll notice the subtle changes with every… Continue reading Of Wildflowers and Their Ways

Brands and Customer Engagement

Recently, I have been sharing some of my thoughts and ideas on how brands can find ways to engage with their customers through the pandemic. And while many industries have been adversely impacted by the virus, some like the wines and spirits industry have been particularly hard-hit. They have been hit on several fronts: low… Continue reading Brands and Customer Engagement

Hayek vs Keynes in a Pandemic Struck World

Here we are then, nine months into a pandemic and we seem to have gotten used to seeing the number of cases and the deaths roll up, like on a gas-filling machine. Over 31 million covid cases worldwide and just under a million deaths seem to have made us impervious to the dangers of the… Continue reading Hayek vs Keynes in a Pandemic Struck World

Festive Season Without the Spirit That Cheers?

The Covid pandemic continues to infect thousands of people every day around the world and take thousands of lives too. And even if lockdowns have been relaxed, in many places they are being re-imposed. At any rate, most people are now preferring to stay home for fear of contracting the virus. There’s one product category… Continue reading Festive Season Without the Spirit That Cheers?